


A bright day still

by Susamo



Series: The Adventures of the young Gos athor Atlan da Gonozal [1]
Category: Perry Rhodan - Various Authors
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:09:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24294130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susamo/pseuds/Susamo
Summary: This is the start of an adventurous and sometimes hard journey for Atlan da Gonozal, the young Gos athor da Arkon when he is not yet twelve. Set in an alternate reality where he is not the son of a murdered Imperator, having to grow up in anonymity, but the revered and publicly appearing Crystal Prince during the first hot phase of the Methane Wars, he has been raised at the Gos Khasurn, the Crystal Palace. He lives upon Gos Ranton, the Crystal world, centre of the Tai Ark'Tussan, a Star Empire encompassing about fifty thousand planets and thousands of peoples, and has had a secure and sheltered life as the heir to the throne of Arkon. But things change too soon, and not for the better...
Series: The Adventures of the young Gos athor Atlan da Gonozal [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1753825
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	A bright day still

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ermigoa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ermigoa/gifts), [liz_mo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/liz_mo/gifts).



> Originally in the Perryversum, the Universe of Perry Rhodan, Atlan the immortal Arkonide was introduced as the Crystal Prince of his people, heir to the throne, and nephew to the Imperator of his era. For a long time in the series, this was neither questioned nor embellished. But when the character became more and more popular and a series of his own was contemplated by the authors, it turned out that the original storyline of Atlan's life appeared too dull and uninteresting.   
> So by the new writ of the authors, the nephew of the Imperator became his son, and the unfortunate ruler was murdered by his younger brother, a classical villain more interesting than a well-meaning uncle offering but happy family life in the palace. Atlan had to grow up upon Gortavor, a planet far away from the glamour of the Empire's center and could have all sorts of fascinating adventures which a sheltered princeling never could have experienced. Admittedly, the character as he is depicted in the series seems not to have evolved from a soft-skinned cosseted laddie either!
> 
> To me, the romantic soul of a fifteen-year-old girl which I was when I read the Atlan series first, that did not seem right.  
>  I wanted to read those adventures of an acknowledged Crystal Prince, in and out of the palace, upon strange worlds and in mortal danger! The series did not offer that, and so I realized I would have to write those adventures myself if I wanted them to exist. This project I started on only much later, and here's the result-how it could have been at court in the Empire of Arkon, ten thousand human years ago, during the Tai Akh'Gor, the Great Terrible War. I tried to find reasons for Atlan da Gonozal to become the person he appears as in the series nevertheless and made use of another fan project of mine, the Arkonide language of the time. The Perry Rhodan series offers a nice word list one can work with a little, but I needed a viable language with working grammar and a lot more words. The result is based mainly on Latin and Greek grammar, with borrowings from Celtic, and is strongly derived from Sanskrit vocabulary. That, too, is probable by the history the Perryversum tells of. (Arkonath is, of course, the far more ancient idiom!) 
> 
> Allusions are made to the works of C.J.Cherryh, and a lot of names are taken from the early issues of the Perry Rhodan series in homage, as well as the Atlan series where they fit. One or two hints point at Star Trek-I couldn't resist...
> 
> And, note: All the Arkonides have white hair and red eyes by nature! (Apart from those rare most beautiful ones whose eyes might be green...)
> 
> So, 'nuff said. Read, and enjoy! Further parts of the adventure are going to be posted in time!

A bright day still

Children’s laughter echoed between the columns of the entrance to the hall of assembly the Tai Than was wont to convene in.  
The eminent Gos athor da Arkon, nearly aged twelve, was playing hide-and-seek with three of his friends, darting here and there, avoiding the grasps of Thora da Zoltral and Thortem da Ariga and Regir his brother. The children howled with laughter as one of them fell and sprawled and scrambled up swiftly to get the one who had ventured too near.  
Sighing Lesena ma Thyrenn, Atlan’s nurse since he was born, ran her hand over her slowly swelling belly-there was not much to see or feel yet, but she was conscious of her daughter every moment-and sallied forth to collect the recalcitrant prince. He knew exactly that he was to attend lessons now-did he think he would be excused concerning timely appearances, and with the Grand Master Denios da Pert to boot?

Denios had it in for the young zhdopan-sa, anyway, since Atlan had played that prank with the antigrav lift upon him a Votan, a period, ago. He had not been the only one in on the matter, of course, but had taken the responsibility upon himself readily since he had been the instigator and was of highest rank-at least the young rascal was honest and had not hesitated to admit everything as soon as he was accosted, and had accepted the punishment for his deeds with his head held as high. There was a saying in the Gonozal family that the extraordinary talent the young Gos athor showed for mathematics was due for a good part to exercise and studies off his regular timetable.  
Which might be true-Admiral Kenos, first tutor and instructor to the Crystal Prince, grimly sent him over to Ekral da Ghirmo-Zoltral to get another set of mathematical exercises if and whenever he proved he did not know how to usefully spend his free time-as Kenos put it.

“Atlan!” the third call got his attention, at long last, thank the Gods. Three periods ago Lesena might have joined the melee and run after her charge, joining the horsing around and the fun. But no longer-and there was more than one reason for that.

“Thon, Sera”, he snapped, imitating military cadences as he came up, but he grinned broadly. At least the young rascal knew exactly how far he could afford to go, and where the true limit was. He had not crossed the last lines yet, not even with his indulgent nanny. Good for him.

“Off you go, Atlan. You know that you have to catch up on your manners!”

That was a double-sided hint-Denios da Pert had the task to teach to the young Gos athor manners and ceremonies and the like, but no less had the boy to mind his manners and sometimes did not do this well enough. Well-he was still a child, and his twelfth birthday, and the feast of the Twelve Heroes, Berlen Taigonii, coming after, still were almost two, and four-and-a-half periods away.  
The little bow he gave, brushing his hands down the light red jacket to smooth it, and his growing more serious proved that he had perceived the limit he was dancing along.

“Yes, na Lhes’”. She shepherded him down the corridor to the lift, giving a distracted farewell to the other children who dutifully had stopped their horseplay and had greeted their departing friend with proper bows.  
Even if Atlan tec’Gonozal was a good comrade to play with, he also was the Gos athor da Arkon, and they had to show their own manners and due reverence at least in greeting.

At the lift entrance, Kelta joined them. With white brows raised he faced his young protégé.

“You are almost late, zhdopan-sa”, he said, his tone too neutral not to contain some chiding. Too much of childish behaviour no longer was appropriate with a boy nearing his twelfth birthday, and less so for the Gos athor da Arkon, whose timetable, already full and stuffed in many respects, would be filled farther and crammed full to bursting. There would be little time left for horseplay in the periods to come.

Atlan stayed calm and only acknowledged with a swift flick of the wrist. Of course, he knew, and knew that he no longer should be so childish and irresponsible. But this was why Lesena had been quite unwilling to tighten the field too harshly; he would have fewer and fewer opportunities for light-hearted fooling around and jaunty horse-play. Even the eminent Gos athor was due some fun and relaxation. He still was a child, and would be so for some time!  
There was no need to be that harsh and severe with him-though in this Lesena knew herself to be in opposition to almost all the other tutors and instructors her young charge had. And she would not be in charge of him for much longer anyway.

She sighed again. The cause for this, apart from Atlan’s age, was deepest joy to her heart-but saying goodbye to her duties of twelve years was more of a challenge than she had expected.

Atlan looked up at his nurse who gave him a loving smile. His own face was serious.

“I know, Lesena”, he softly said and then smiled back, trying to comfort her.  
Gods, the boy was perceptive! But what else was to be expected of the son of a xeno-psychologist psych master Escantha who had highest degrees at Iprasa, was doing research and was teaching at the Faehrl?

So she simply inclined her head and flicked her wrist, and saw him move into the lift's thomkay tar with a swift and decisive step. 

The Grand Master had news to convey.

“Mekhon Rayth’kor, His Eminence the Begam Tai Moas and His Excellency the Tai Mascant have decided that you will take up your representative military duties a bit sooner and will award the most meritorious soldiers and arbtans surviving Solmanay battle their medals three pragos hence. Due to duties that cannot be delayed-assemblies of the Tai Than are scheduled-neither His Eminence nor his Excellency can take up that duty which has been scheduled beforehand and must be attended to on time for the political and psychological impact of the matter. You are deemed to be the right person to act in their places-as you will have to from now on also in the future.”

According to the address of the Grand Master, which was purely military, Atlan tec’Gonozal stood to attention and laid his right fist upon his left breast, acknowledging with a simple “Ia te, mekh’”.

Denios da Pert had reported that order standing himself, of course, and at parade rest-he was the conveyor and not the man who gave the order. To the Crystal Prince, the mekhon Rayth’kor, might he have his majority or not, he could not have given orders himself, not in the military context.

Despite his outward calm and attentive posture, Atlan’s red eyes glowed excitedly. He was to go on his own, the first time in his life! No father, no mother either, or she would have been mentioned-a slightly unsure look darted aside to where Lesena stood. Would she come with him-or was that over too?

Reassuringly she smiled and made a soothing gesture with her hand. Certainly, she would come with-perhaps the last time. Further missions he would have to deal with on his own-but not left alone, of course. He would get his own household at age twelve and leave the apartment he was living in with his parents right now, have a secretary and his own staff, and a chief-of-staff who would administrate the household of the Gos athor da Arkon. 

That did not say that the Escantha Yagthara would not have as close an eye upon her son’s doings as before.   
He was and would be resident in the Crystal Palace, and be attended night and day-and would not have much time to go on playing pranks in the course of his duties and his education.

The merry glitter in the eyes of the young rascal showed that he could follow her thoughts uncannily well-not that she had not spoken them aloud, countless times, Lesena thought, slightly irritated. In some respects it would do the Crystal Prince good to be taken into a firmer hand than hers-up to now admiral Kenos had taken his part, but done little more. In the future he would be chief instructor in the full meaning of the word and would take the young prince into real military discipline-his childhood would very naturally slide into a soldier’s life in the oncoming years.  
Even now he had regular lessons about piloting, even that of Maahkath craft, and had weapons training every day besides all the scientific and political lessons, not to forget psychology and rhetoric either.

A Tai Moas who had to guide his peoples through the upheaval of the Tai Akh Gor had not only to be a perfectly educated politician and scientist but also had to know the soldier's business and the military from scratch and in every detail and had to know discipline-thank the Gods the boy already knew that.   
Sek-athor Kehene of the Golamo was an excellent teacher of Dagor, that so famous fighting technique, and had trained the young Crystal Prince from infancy, simple exercises given to him before he had even been able to walk.

“That assignment of yours, Mekhon Rayth’kor, calls for a change in our schedule of lessons. You will kindly attend to my instructions on the subject of inspecting a parade and taking reports in that context.”

Atlan kept standing to attention, but there was a slight frown upon his face now. The reason was clear to the sensitive lady-in-waiting to the First Lady of the Tai Ark’Tussan: the Crystal Prince had marched down countless ranks of soldiers at parades with his uncle or his parents since he had been eight and had been called to official duties more and more often. There was nothing new for him in that, and he seemed to view the announced lesson as a bit of harassment-was it bad conscience speaking in his heart, knowing how he had gotten the Grand Master with that ill-aimed prank?

The Tai Kha’Laktrote, Grand Master of the House and therefore the First Master of Ceremonies, subordinate directly to the Ka’Mascantis, the Crystal Marshal, showed a thin smile. Of course Denios da Pert caught on to the Crystal Prince’s sentiments-he had achieved the Ark Summia and had an activated extra sense.

“Mekhon Rayth’”-he kept to the military title mercilessly and kept the young Gos’ athor standing to attention, perhaps that was a bit of vindictiveness-“there are differences to proceedings between a parade where you accompanied the Begam Tai Moas, where it is he who is addressed first and who does the inspecting, or where you were with the Tai Mascant your father, who actually did the inspecting since you, though being of higher rank, still legally are minor, and a parade which you have to inspect on your own fully, regardless your age or your legal state. Indeed this time of war creates situations that are unprecedented or have been unprecedented for a long period of time! We have not had a Crystal Prince attending to legal functions and official military duties as a legal minor for millennia! But since the duty itself is of small legal impact, but of great importance regarding publicity, you are both deemed able and the right one to attend to the bestowing of these medals. His Eminence expects you to do your best and conduct this affair flawlessly.”

“Ia te, mekhon!”

Now Atlan stood at attention fully, very straight and erect, and laid his fist upon his breast once more.  
He was serious now, but his eyes were glowing. Uncle Cunor was putting his trust in him to do well, and so he would!  
These times of war had taught the Arkonath people that some things had to be done perfectly or not at all-the Maahks did not offer second chances.

Satisfied the Grand Master flexed his wrist and inclined his head, showing respect and sympathy at long last.

“I trust in your abilities and competency also, mekhon Rayth’kor. There are a few points to address and bring to your attention, but overall the matter is simple enough.   
To make sure-and to use the opportunity to explain a few finer points and take note of further encounters and the proper conduct of affairs then, I am to accompany you and instruct you further as need and opportunity arise.”

He smiled again, a warmer and more open smile this time.

“I am much looking forward to this short journey, and I am sure that it will be adventurous enough for you to occupy your mind and senses, zhdopan-sa, and to keep you from-manipulating lifts or some such entertainment.”

Atlan coloured slightly, but he looked his instructor openly and straight in the eye and gave a slight bow.

“Yes, Laktrote.”

The Tai Kha’ Laktrote bowed back, fully satisfied now. Seeing he had brought the matter home well enough to his pupil he could let it lie now, he decided. After all the Gos athor da Arkon was a child still, and the fact that he showed qualities of leadership was a good sign-if only it was of this clique of young boys and girls rampaging through the Gos Khasurn. That he took up responsibility where it was due without hesitation and stood up for himself and his deeds, and the deeds of others committed under his command, so to say, was another good sign and actually a virtue-but the Grand Master would have bitten off his tongue before he would have admitted that to the young rogue.

On their way back to his parents’ suite three tontas later the boy still showed no sign of fatigue, but was full of energy and skipped a few steps in excitement. Lesena saw that he was brimming with questions and readied herself for the barrage, smiling.

“Atlan, we will learn more details about the flight of the TONDON and the Crew when we come back to your parents’ apartment. I will stay some time more-your mother will have to say quite a lot to me and you, I believe.  
But you know Captain Taneth and his men, and your father’s personal yacht well enough, don’t you? So there are some questions you need not ask.”

He grinned and looked up at his smiling nanny.

“Aye, aye, mekhan-Sam thon.”

At that, even Kelta smiled. To hear the young Crystal Prince use Fleet’s Battle Clipped, saying he heard and obeyed, or the Service Slang he heard and asked of Kelta, who was high-rank Golamo, was quite droll. Not that he didn’t know how to use the expressions correctly-it was his size that made this funny.

Though that too was changing. In the last year, the boy had shot up like a weed, growing almost as one was watching him, requiring a new set of clothes every few periods. The gangling grace of youth was beginning to come in-all knees and elbows, he would be in a few periods. Thank the Gods he was in Dagor training constantly and knew how to move elegantly under all circumstances, or he would have made a less becoming image at his Birthday, which was going to be a very public and political event, covered by the media at every moment. But the first coming-of-age of the Gos athor da Arkon was too important an occasion for the whole Tai Ark' Tussan to be kept private in any way, especially in those war times.

Lesena sighed. Her husband would be back from Inspection at about that time. She would not lose any private time with him during this flight to the Tanterym sector; being a personal aide to Glogol da Orcast who was one of the twelve High Inspectors he had to attend to his duties which took him away from Arkon for periods on end too.   
But which man-or woman- did not experience the same dilemma these days? Even at Court, many were married to men or women who served with the war, this way or another. At least Tristol was not upon active orbton’s duty and did not have to fight actively. More than one lady in the Gos Khasurn had worn blood red lined with black in mourning a husband fallen in the prime of his time this last year, and more than one man too. The percentage of women in the fleet had been no more than a fourth, but was rising to a third with the blood toll of Arkonath lives mounting and mounting.

Atlan had become serious.  
“Tristol?” he asked softly.

Lesena smiled, a bit in a strained way. “Yes”, she admitted. As closely as she had followed the Crystal Prince’s life he had followed hers, attending her wedding as well as her betrothal-a very great and singular honour, though he and his family did not count it so. She was more or less part of the Gonozal family-or had been. That, too, was changing with her resigning of her nurse’s duties, and would hurt her more than she had expected.  
But lady-in-waiting to Yagthara tec’Gonozal, born an esteemed Agh’Hay-Boor, and best friend of her sister Merikana, she would stay and therefore see her former charge often enough. They would not lose one another.

“When we celebrate your birthday he will be back, and attend your Oath-giving too”, she said, intending to give herself heart. It came out more in a tone of longing, alas. Their daughter would be born two periods after, shortly before Berlen Taigonii.

The boy cocked his head.

“Have you found a name for her yet?” he asked, uncanny again in reading her body language. But well, both Seekoia and his mother had been training him for years in psychology and xeno-psych-this was another subject where the Gos athor showed quite some talent. Lesena was sure that he caught far more listening to conversations than people said out loud, but in most cases, the young prince kept his perceptions to himself-education and life at the Gos Khasurn had taught him discretion before he had to have been told. But not, of course, among his intimate friends and his family-some of his comments were quite open and bold and of a merciless honesty. From the mouth of babes, Yagthara had said sighing at more than one occasion when the Crystal Prince, feigning innocence, had uttered a quite stinging truth that had made the Imperator himself lift his brows or frown.

The nurse smiled, warmly again. 

“Merikana is, of course, one of our favourites”, she answered. “Getray or Azhira are other possibilities.”

At that, the Crystal Prince grinned. “Getray”, he snickered-“She’ll be called Sweetie Girlie till her old age!”

Stung, Lesena frowned, then had to laugh too. “Exactly that was the objection Tristol had for that name as well. But it is what I call her in my mind when I talk to her right now.”

“For a little one you can use it for a call-name very well”, he replied, generously. “But if you are going to ask aunt Merikana to stand for her at her Name-Giving, Merikana you will have to name her.”

“Yes.” Lesena snapped her fingers, agreeing. “Admittedly, I cannot think of a better Sponsor than her.”

It took not long for dinner to be served at the Gonozal Suite. No robots to wait at the table for the Imperial Family, but living servants of the Gos Khasurn-every one trained, examined, and passed by the Golamo, low-rank members of that most elite Secret Service at least, and able to function as bodyguards.   
The serving personnel of higher rank, those who came into personal contact with the Imperial Family, had to be absolutely trustworthy, of course, and absolutely discreet. They often enough knew secrets of the State they overheard or became witness to.

Kelta, as always, had refused to partake and stood to attention, watching his protégé from the background, on duty even now. But since his charge was the Gos athor of the realm, of the highest rank of all who sat at the table, that was his simple duty and was not impoliteness at all.

With gusto, Lesena took another bite. No simple vat-grown proteins for the Gonozal family either, but real meat.  
Filet of Coelantherid of Travnor served with an essoya sauce and palisa nuts was a rare and excellent treat and very popular with her protégé. Atlan loved these nuts, an unpleasant experience of his with them notwithstanding-at age two he had stuffed such a nut up his nose and had had to suffer, howling and kicking, a medo robot extricating it gently and stifling the blood running after.

Atlan was eating silently, looking down, apparently deep in thought. His mother did not approve of too much chattering at table, at least not while the first and main courses were served. The mannered conversation the adults had was kept short today too-Crest and Yagthara knew that their son would have questions enough later.

When fruit mash was served he looked up, at last, hoping he could get some answers now.

“Won’t there be a proper Rudhinda too?” he asked.

That somewhat abrupt question would have been mystifying if the adults had not known that the boy most likely didn’t think of anything else than his mission right now. Crest, the best orator of the family and always one to see to it his son expressed himself in understandable and conclusive ways, retorted:” Define more closely, please, Atlan.”

“Yes, father.” The boy took a deep breath.

“At Brysch nine, when I am to give the medals to the survivors and heroes of Solmanay battle-won’t there be a Rudhinda for those who did not survive but fought as bravely? I mean, it’s not the first time I’ve been with at such an occasion, you know, father, and uncle Cunor always made a wonderful speech to honour the dead, and you did too, father. So why not this time? Denios da Pert spoke at length about the parade, and the addresses, and the medal-giving-not that that was not useful to me as well”, Atlan added swiftly.  
“But he made no mention of the Rudhinda, the speech to honour the dead. Why?”

Crest tec’ Gonozal sighed and faced his slightly indignant son squarely.   
“Because, my dear son, you are not yet twelve and quite young to shoulder such a duty. Karmina Arthamin knows her soldiers and will deliver that speech most professionally, and her men and women will understand her concern and her grief and her pride in them the better. It is quite enough to have you deal with inspecting a parade and giving the medals at your first task you must perform alone!”

Exasperated the young prince rolled his eyes. They glowed light red with annoyance.

“Fa-ther, I’m going to be twelve in less than two periods! I’m a little kid no more!”

Lesena, who had the horseplay as of this afternoon in sight of her mind’s eye, choked slightly.

Crest, his eyes glittering ironically, addressed his son again.

“I’m not saying you are a little kid, Atlan. But I find it significant that you call me “methron” right now-in fact you would normally have said “meth”, wouldn’t you? But that’s the address children under the age of twelve use, and “Ron” you cannot call me yet.”

The boy frowned and grimaced, but wisely kept silent. Approvingly his father flicked his wrist.

“ So you know that yourself, even if you try to evade the fact right now. But a fact it is, and the strain upon you will be hard enough with accomplishing this duty flawlessly without, Gods be gracious, speaking a whole Rudhinda for the fallen of that battle! You are no grown soldier who at least has seen combat himself, and you will not be that for some years yet, thank the Gods, you have little understanding of the realities this war imposes upon all of us-not because you were daft but because you are too young, and have led a pretty sheltered life up to now, as public as it has been. And neither, excuse me, does the image you cannot help to create fit such an occasion, that of delivering a Rudhinda. That is about death, and the past, and must come before. You, because you are our Gos athor and exactly because you are so young, still a child, are a symbol of hope and the future, and that will inspire hope and the will to fight on the more in the hearts of all the spectators! For this His Eminence and I-“ not uncle Cunor, I get it, father, Atlan thought sourly, -“have decided that you are exactly the right person to send, the problem of our duties keeping us at Tiga Ranton kept aside. And you are an exhortation to people as well for another reason.   
You know, Atlan, that the colours we wear have meaning and come down to us by a very old tradition.  
Our Tai Moas wears White and Violet-not the Sad Lavender of Mourning, but the strong and triumphant Violet of Transcendence, which means that he rules over life and death. You as our Gos athor wear the White of Life and Light too, but your second colour is Red-not the blood-red of Death, but light red that expresses your readiness to serve the Tai Ark’Tussan with the last drop of your life’s and your heart’s blood. You will say the same at your Oath-Giving, as you know. We others may serve the Imperator and the State, and many of us serve him directly and do so proudly.   
But His Eminence and you, our Crystal Prince, serve the peoples and the Tai Ark' Tussan foremost and are its First and Second Servants, and that too you know. For our soldiers you will stand before them as their Representative, bringing life and hope, not death!”

Slowly the boy inclined his head and turned his wrist in understanding. But he gave his father a piercing look.

“Yes, father. I understand. But-why is that so important-at Solmanay, and especially this time? I’d like to know more about this battle, please.”

Crest tec’ Gonozal sighed and looked down upon his plate for a moment. Atlan had an uncanny ability to hit the mark at times-at many times if one had a closer look. Looking up he met his wife’s ironical gaze-yes, he had to cough up more of the truth. After all, their son most likely would find out at Tanterym sector anyway.

“Because this battle was devastating and downright destructive to morale, and that less by the numbers of our dead but for the people who died, who sacrificed their lives for success and the Imperium. You know that the blood toll the Methans extract from us is mounting higher by the year and that the number of soldiers we can call to duty is decreasing steadily. The biological reproduction quotes of our races simply are too different and give a great advantage to our enemies. While our women carry mostly but one child in their wombs which is born after 241 pragos following conception, our enemies the Maahks lay eggs, up to nine in one litter, and their children hatch after but 126 pragos. You see where this leads.”

Atlan flicked his wrist again. “At the last Session of the Tai Than uncle Cunor took me to listen and learn, as he said, this was the top subject.” A sharp glance flew over to this father.   
“That was but three pragos ago-it was a reaction to the battle of Solmanay, then?”

Crest tec’ Gonozal flicked his wrist and sighed.  
“Yes. It was a direct reaction. We have not made it too public, but the facts are these: since so many of our men serve in the war and so many of them die, more and more women join the forces as well to make up the numbers we need to fly our ships. Technical automation is on fast-forward, but it cannot catch up with the blood loss we suffer. Our women have proudly served before and are equal in almost everything in the fleet, but up to now we have tried to at least protect them, our life-givers, to some extent and have kept them from entering direst hand-to-hand combat of our infantry troops with the enemy as well as we could. We no longer can afford to do that, and that means that more of those who could bear children are dying and are lost-a vicious circle, but one which we cannot avoid. The alternatives we see are too horrible for us to try out-you have attended the whole Session three pragos ago, have you not?”

The boy snapped his fingers. “I did. There was a heated discussion about the quote of women rising-it was a fourth of our soldiers before, and now is becoming a third, and the rules of fraternization are transgressed too often, it was argued.” He coloured slightly.

“Before you think me too young again, father, I assure you that I understand well enough about sexuality and intimate relationships and their emotional effects and the consequences thereof-it’s where we differ strongly from our enemies the Maahks, isn’t it? Our people serve for too long shipboard, they said at Council, without getting off on leave which is too often canceled due to necessity. So our people look for relationships among their crewmates, no matter that that is prohibited, because our kind needs emotional support from each other. And friendships can too easily turn into sexual relationships and real love as well-whether between men and women, or men with men, or women with women is irrelevant, but the bare fact as such is not, on the contrary. There was a very heated discussion about the temptation anyone commanding might feel, no matter of which rank and at which point of the military hierarchy, not to send a loved one into dangerous situations or certain death, and so to endanger military success. We have had such cases which were treated as cases of severe treason.  
And there is the problem of sexual relationships between men and women which might result in the woman getting pregnant-that is prohibited most severely, of course, but lately, there have been cases of women who seem to have thrown out their contraceptive implants on purpose to get pregnant-a subconsciously guided longing to create life if one feels surrounded by death, our psychologists said, excusing them, and a primeval drive of survival in our kind we cannot and should not hamper. Well, but what then? One cannot have children’s nurse groups and all that entails upon fighting ships, and active mothers serving in combat! So a captain would have to order such a pregnant woman to abort the child-but what about the kind of morale that would engender then?”

With fascination Crest tec’Gonozal listened to his son expounding that issue with some heat. Quite clearly he had listened closely and had very well understood what the matter was all about. A look aside showed him his wife’s satisfied smile-of course, a xeno-psychologist was a very good teacher for matters of biology and psych.

“So the Tai Than has decided to loosen up the rules of fraternization to an extent that keeps relations of close friendship and even sexual encounters from penalized as long as there are no consequences like preferment or protection proof-able, while at the same time such too close relationships are warned against and the overall adherence to the ship and the team and the crew and the esprit de corps are emphasized. The violation of the rules of equal treatment of all subordinates or comrades, though, in every way but the strictest private one will be punished far harder, and contraceptive implants for women will be ordered to be used without exception and controlled closely. They also said that a woman who feels the need to have a child too strongly can resign without prejudice and go find a partner on pension from the fleet.  
A woman offending against those rules, though, will be dismissed with severe dishonour on the spot with all the consequences and will have to serve the rest of her term in a penal camp, and she will not be allowed to keep her child, which will be raised as an orphan by the state instead. The Councillors thought that such measures were repellent and preventive enough, and His Eminence declared them Passed at the end of the session.  
As to the alternatives they saw for letting more women join the crews the discussion was even more heated.”

Atlan looked over at his mother who gave him a slight encouraging nod.

“Only three periods ago mother had me work through the case of Cherryh’s Star, which occurred about one thousand and five hundred years ago, and the consequences and lessons gained thereof. Are you familiar with the issue, father?”

“Only vaguely.” In Crest’s voice, there was real interest. He always wanted to know about his son’s educational progress.

“Well, it was about artificial reproduction and gengineered people being cloned, with artificial and easily controllable psych-sets resulting. It was about perfect manipulation of a whole planetary population as well, and about what happens and which cultures can emerge if the matter gets out of hand. The region called Cherryh’s Domain nowadays evolved around a planet colonialized by rebel families and their adherents fleeing the consequences of their deeds-you surely know far better than me all about the rebellions Rakamol the fifth and his son had to weather.”

Crest snapped his fingers, amused. So he did.

“That one had to be terraformed heavily, and the colonists could not call upon the help and resources of the Tai Ark’Tussan, on the contrary, they had to stay hidden as well as they could and practically were isolated. So they needed manpower they did not have, and hit upon an age-old and very controversial solution, which had been experimented with before, but which never had been taken to test that extensively.   
They created a whole population of clones, gene-sets, and psych-sets modeled to the specific tasks they needed performed-they had soldier models, farmer models, worker models, in general called azi from “artificial zygote insemination”. Since they did not even have the personnel capacity of giving twenty of them a single mother they had generalized replicator programs for the growing embryos and fetuses.  
Replicator-born children are a matter of course for us and were so then, but only when medical indications called for the use of a replicator instead of a living mother’s womb. If a woman wants children but cannot conceive them, or cannot carry them, or if she has an accident or becomes sick, a replicator is used. But always it is the mother whose voice and heartbeat and other signals are given to the child in the artificial womb, and none else’s. Mothers who die and whose child is saved, of course, the exception, but then the foster mother’s signals are used, or, with an orphan who has not been claimed, the nurse group mother’s he or she will be handed to raise. Individuality is of very high value to our kind, and with good reason.”

Both the young prince’s parents turned their wrists in agreement, and so did Lesena. It was a characteristic trait of the Arkonath species and a very good one.

“The rebels of Cherryh’s Star veered off from that virtue, and what had to be expected happened: Psych-sets known can be manipulated, and there were-catch-phrases or single keywords which could render whole armies of soldiers marching unable to walk another step, made them turn and fire upon their commanders. The people of that system suffered several terrible dictatorships, the power of their azis misused, the servants they trusted becoming unreliable.  
The various families fought each other and decimated the gene pool further, which resulted in mutations and liabilities to hitherto unknown sicknesses.  
Nowadays that cloning experiment is seen as the gross mistake it was and the method as such is severely prohibited-apart from the danger one puts oneself into with trusting a person so easily manipulated, one also keeps a person in slavery that way!   
A population of azi, abandoned upon a world they fittingly called Ereinnye, adapted to that world and the native intelligent life and formed a symbiosis and became a separate species, no longer to be called Arkonath. The only azi population still in existence within the Tai Ark’tussan after Cherryh's Domain re-joined the Empire again seven hundred years ago is the one in the system called Serpent’s Reach where a single one of these families still holds sway, called the Kontrin. They are living in close contact with the species of the majat, an insectoid species that is like, and unlike our Taa-mother had me compare the cultures and try to find reasons for the differences I perceived.   
I found that lesson and task to be quite fascinating.”

Smiling Crest tec’ Gonozal gave his son an approving nod. Telling of his discoveries Atlan’s eyes had begun to glow.

But he would not be deterred from his original question.

“So the Tai Than, after discussing the possible merits of a restart of an azi soldier project, decided against it unanimously for the risks outweighing the possible benefits by far, quite apart from the ethical problems of a population you keep in virtual slavery, by psych mastery and psychic programming, and raised but to be cannon fodder. I was quite relieved to hear the “Denied” verdict of uncle Cunor’s rejecting the proposal since I knew quite well what they were talking about with the studies I had taken. So our women will have to serve instead.-  
And what, father, please, has all that to do with Solmanay battle?”

Crest sighed and went with his fingers through his hair.

“At Solmanay quite a lot went wrong. The Maahks came into the system from an unexpected angle and apparently knew where to go and shoot first. A third of the ships stationed insystem were destroyed within the first fifteen khelas. The Maahks broke through the defensive zone and would have destroyed Solmanay station and the planet below it, which holds industry quite important for the war. 

Due to so many of their men either working double shift or serving shipside it was mostly women who manned the light transporter craft in-system, and those drew together to form a last cordon of defense to buy time for the station and the planet till Karmina Arthamin’s incoming fleet should arrive and get the Maahks. They succeeded, but at the price of almost all their lives. Women, Atlan, who actually were civilians, and quite a number of them pregnant-you see, they had perceived the problem of population shortages and did as we have tried to encourage Arkonath people all over the Tai Ark’Tussan to have more children-we even offered special pensions for that!  
So you see what kind of Rudhinda Karmina Arthamin will have to speak-it is better a woman does that, who is a soldier herself. You will remind the people at Solmanay then of the future they still have and of hope. That will be a far better way to handle this.”

“Yes, meth. “ Atlan was very serious now. “I’m sorry- I truly am. That’s-horrible. Yes, I see-say, can’t Lesena, who is accompanying me, come with me and stand by me when I give out these medals? She is carrying a child too-let her wear a nice long robe of light green, the colour of hope, to show that all’s not lost the better. Wouldn’t that be even more fitting?”

Surprised Crest tec’Gonozal pursed his lips. The idea was actually quite good, yes.

Looking over at Lesena he saw her smile and flick her wrist. “There isn’t much to see yet, but it will show close-up, and you can bet the people of Solmanay will see me upon their vidscreens. I’d agree, mekhon, mekhan.”  
She looked from Atlan’s father to Atlan’s mother, who gave a nod of approval.

The young Crystal Prince smiled shortly out of pride but grew serious again swiftly. Yagthara saw how much the report of his father had impressed and struck him. Solmanay truly had been a catastrophe.

“Time to withdraw and catch up on your studies some more, Atlan thay”, she said gently, and he got up and bowed, saying goodbye properly. Lesena would stay to get her own instructions while he had had enough to chew on for today, Yagthara thought. That he should see to his pet she did not have to tell him; Fizzgig, the little fur-ball, would lighten his mood again. A Vurgizzel could not be satisfied with but the care of robots. It needed regular care from its Bonded one to feel happy and, which was most important with a Vurgizzel, calm and therefore being safe. An angry Vurgizzel could be lethal-but that the xeno-psychologist Escantha’s son knew, having been introduced on purpose to a real danger one could not be careless with. He had to learn responsibility and never budging demands of reality in time and as early as possible, calculable hazards to be risked.   
Only faithful Kelta accompanied Atlan to his room.

“I want to know why!”   
Agitated Atlan slapped his palm against the table-top. “Why did this go so wrong? Those transporter crafts should have been warned away and the fleet should have arrived in time! The Tanterym Fleet would not have come so swiftly if it had not been on the in-ride already! But why so late? “

With a decisive move, he turned in his seat before the terminal and looked up at his personal bodyguard.

“Kelta, please unlock!”

That was less a plea than a demand, but the bodyguard only gave a long-suffering sigh and stepped forward. He had given in too often in the-even years-before to be able to balk now, and Atlan never had misused the information he got clandestinely from Golamo net, nor had he let anything slip, knowing that Kelta would be in for it with Atlan’s father and his superiors if ever anyone found out.

He leaned forward and put his hand upon the sensor pad, and gave the code both vocally and by tapping it into the writ-line. On-screen the symbol of Golamo net appeared, and the data net unfolded, open to one of its own-and the Crystal Prince, who with deft ease and routine went down the line to call up Solmanay battle and the classified data thereof while Kelta stood and looked over his charge’s shoulder, interested himself.

And then they stared in shock.

“Treason?” Atlan asked incredulously. “Can that be? Or if it was horrible blunder-can that freighter pilot be such an enormous dolt? Firing off an un-coded call and a position report that would draw just anyone to where he was, a downright open guideline! Has the man never heard of the simplest precautions and safety rules? How did Fleet, by the way, allow the man into flight lanes at that time with the maneuver already in action?”

“He claims to have been called by a Fleet ship upon that frequency, so he returned the call that way”, Kelta mused, skimming the report with his glances. “And he was guided into that lane by the same ship’s order-says he. A simple test by truth reader should suffice to see whether he speaks the truth. I cannot believe-“

“We never will know”, Atlan interrupted his guardian. “See. The freighter pilot committed suicide before he could be questioned-seems he felt guilty enough to do that, whether he spoke the truth or not.”

Tharg’athor Kelta grimaced. So the mystery would stay one.

“If he committed suicide his excuses must have been lies”, he sighed. “Atlan, let be. We won’t know, and neither will anyone else now. What’s done is done-those ships are lost, and so are their crews, combat forces as well as civilians.  
Your most intense roaming will not disclose anything further.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.” Still, the boy frowned down upon the darkening screen till he activated his study files instead and the screen lighted up once more. With lips compressed he launched himself into his work, but, to Kelta’s secret relief, eased up after a few khelas and got into studying mood as he was wont to do, concentrating properly.  
Good. It would not have done the boy good to dwell too long and in too much detail upon that unfortunate occurrence. With his nanny pregnant he was too touchy upon that matter.

The TONDON was Crest tec’Gonozal’s personal yacht, and perfectly fitting for that short journey, Lesena thought, watching Taneth and his men preparing it for the lift on screen. There was time still; the luggage, small and efficient but for the necessary gala clothes was already loaded, and they had but to board the ship. Atlan was saying his goodbyes; hers were already sent, to Tristol and her family. They would not be away for more than four pragos, so it was not worth the bother of more effort. 

Denios da Pert was already on board, meticulously controlling and preparing everything for that performance of his pupil. He took this more seriously than did the Crystal Prince, Lesena felt, though for Atlan the matter had gained even more impact with his having learned about Solmanay battle.

Looking down from the balustrade she saw Atlan very earnestly bow to his uncle, fist on breast, reporting himself off on duty to his commander and superior, as ordered. He stood to attention to the few words his uncle said, sharply and commanding-he was acknowledging and sending the Gos athor off. 

As soon as the cameras of Arkon Media withdrew the Imperator suddenly smiled and held out his arms, and Atlan laughed and jumped forward to be hugged and hugged his uncle back, all a child for that moment again. He was bouncing on his feet with excitement as he said a few sentences, and then took hold of himself once more, saluting His Eminence properly and turned to go with a friendly nod of Gonozal the seventh.

His father the Tai Mascant he saluted properly too, but after got a hug as well, and with his mother Yagthara, he did not have to observe military ceremony. Laughing he promised to be good and heed all advice of his teacher and reassured his parents that he had studied the duties he had to perform most well and could repeat the words he was to say in his sleep by now. That he rolled his eyes and made a funny grimace, out of the sight of the cameras covering his march to the yacht Lesena was sure, because she saw Crest stiffen. But the young rascal was cunning enough to show a perfect face now as he emerged from the hall and faced the reporters, three only with their camera people as allowed by the Grand Master, and answered their questions easily. This, too, he did alone, on his own now without his father or mother at his side, and with practiced ease. The dignified inclination of his head, giving him quite an adult air, was hilarious after the grimace and the hugs he had exchanged.

But that, of course, was the singular viewpoint of a nanny who had accompanied her charge from his earliest infancy. So had Kelta, who loomed like a silent shadow behind his protégé, very serious and in full uniform, black lined with red, the Golamo triangle upon his collar and his breast, the visor of the light helmet halfway concealing his face.

Time for her to go also. Merikana had wished her well, as had Yagthara-they both knew that this journey was a bittersweet experience for Lesena ma Thyrenn. It would likely be the last time she would accompany her charge as his nanny. But her time would belong to Getray then-Merikana Getray, she thought lovingly at her little daughter and felt the faint flutters of her tiny moves.

Some courtiers were watching the Crystal Prince’s departure too, she saw, leaving by a side entrance to board the shuttle. Ka-Addagtis Frantomor kel Falthaym, the minister of the Interior, was present, as was admiral Kenos, Atlan’s First tutor, who was talking to him softly. The two men smiled in unison at something Kenos had said, then Frantomor turned his wrist in agreement, still watching the Crystal Prince walk to the shuttle.

Lesena hurried her steps. She could not let the Gos athor da Arkon wait!   
But she was, of course, on time as always.

Fifteen khelas later the TONDON lifted, gliding up into the air soundlessly and weightlessly, heaved up by enormous antigrav fields, and then took off, firing her engines. She raced through the atmosphere of the Crystal world, Gos Ranton, and reached free space within two tortons. 

Racing on she reached jump speed and signed off and out of Arkon system, positronicons reporting to positronicons and captain Taneth reporting his ship ready for jump to Arkon Control, and got a free lane for her and the three heavy cruisers that flew guard on her.

With only a short shock upon the hyper-sensory of Arkon Station, the TONDON jumped and the small fleet was gone.  
It was the fifth Prago of the Tarman in the year of 10.503 da Ark.


End file.
